Felix Temitope, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a 59-year-old businessman, Ezeokoli Sylva, who returned to Nigeria after 35 years in Brazil with 700 grams of cocaine concealed in his stomach. The arrest took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, November 29, 2024.
Ezeokoli was intercepted at the E-Arrival Hall after arriving on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Addis Ababa. A body scan revealed foreign objects in his stomach, prompting NDLEA officials to place him under observation. Over time, he excreted 29 wraps of cocaine weighing 700 grams.
The suspect admitted in his statement that he operated an African store in Brazil, selling provisions, shoes, and clothes. He confessed to purchasing the drugs in Sao Paulo to sell in Nigeria, aiming to raise funds to expand his business.
In a separate operation on Tuesday, November 26, NDLEA officers from the Directorate of Investigation and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two consignments destined for the United Kingdom. The parcels, discovered at a Lagos courier company, contained 200 grams of cocaine hidden in local fabrics and 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection weighing 110 grams concealed in cartons.
In Kano, on Thursday, November 28, three suspects—Jamilu Adamu (38), Umar Musa (32), and Bunu Ali (27)—were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa on Zaria Road. They were found with 2,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 3,135,000 pills of Exol-5, a controlled substance.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2,120 kilograms of "Ghanaian Loud," a potent cannabis strain, at Ilesan Beach on Thursday, November 28. A suspect, Onibogi Muftau, was arrested, and four vehicles intended for transporting the shipment were seized. Earlier in the week, 472 kilograms of the same substance were confiscated at Idi-Iroko, Imeko, Ogun State.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, two suspects, Monday Onyenemue (60) and Evans Omogiede (42), were arrested on Thursday, November 28, in Benin City. During the operation, NDLEA officials recovered 185.6 kilograms of cannabis and a Toyota Previa van used for transportation.
The NDLEA continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, targeting schools, marketplaces, and communities. Activities included sensitization lectures at Government Girls Secondary School, Kofar Wambai (Kano), Government Day Secondary School, Njoboli-Fulani (Adamawa), Girls High School, Mgbowo (Enugu), and God’s Time College, Ikole Ekiti (Ekiti). In Cross River State, traders at 8 Miles Market, Calabar, received drug abuse education.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved in the arrests and seizures across Lagos, Kano, and Edo States. He praised their commitment to reducing drug supply and demand, highlighting their balanced approach as crucial to national safety and health.
The NDLEA reiterated its appeal for public cooperation in combating drug abuse and trafficking, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities.
